Match ends, Portsmouth 3, Bristol Rovers 1.
Portsmouth 3-1 Bristol Rovers
- From the section Football
Michael Smith's first Portsmouth goal helped put their League Two promotion bid back on track with a 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers at Fratton Park.
The Swindon loanee headed home just before half-time after Gareth Evans' earlier chip from close range.
Substitute Marc McNulty completed the win in the second half as Pompey jumped above Rovers into fifth.
Lee Brown scored a late free-kick for the visitors who drop out of the play-off places into eighth.
Portsmouth assistant manager Leam Richardson told BBC Radio Solent:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"The result's obviously what we're looking for but the performance secondary is very pleasing.
"The manager, the lads, they wanted to give a performance full of energy, full of life and certainly the first half we got that.
"I think you've seen glimpses today of [Smith]. I've worked with him before, he's a very technically gifted player, he's a goal scorer. The more minutes he gets the better it is for Portsmouth FC."
Line-ups
Portsmouth
- 27Fulton
- 2Davies
- 6Burgess
- 4Webster
- 3Stevens
- 8Doyle
- 33Close
- 11RobertsSubstituted forMcGurkat 74'minutes
- 26Evans
- 23BennettSubstituted forChaplinat 86'minutes
- 21SmithSubstituted forMcNultyat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 7McGurk
- 10McNulty
- 15Barton
- 18Tollitt
- 19Chaplin
- 20Clarke
- 35Bass
Bristol Rovers
- 1Mildenhall
- 2Leadbitter
- 4LockyerBooked at 90mins
- 6Parkes
- 3BrownBooked at 39mins
- 16LawrenceSubstituted forLinesat 77'minutes
- 7MansellSubstituted forMontañoat 55'minutesBooked at 85mins
- 24Sinclair
- 23Bodin
- 17EasterBooked at 25minsSubstituted forTaylorat 55'minutes
- 30Gaffney
Substitutes
- 5McChrystal
- 8O Clarke
- 10Taylor
- 14Lines
- 21Montaño
- 25Puddy
- 33Fallon
- Referee:
- Trevor Kettle
- Attendance:
- 17,808
Match Stats
Home TeamPortsmouthAway TeamBristol Rovers
- Possession
- Home56%
- Away44%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home12
- Away2
- Corners
- Home9
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away13
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Portsmouth 3, Bristol Rovers 1.
Booking
Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers).
Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michael Doyle (Portsmouth).
Goal!
Goal! Portsmouth 3, Bristol Rovers 1. Lee Brown (Bristol Rovers) from a free kick with a left footed shot to the top left corner.
Foul by Enda Stevens (Portsmouth).
Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Adam McGurk (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Cristian Montaño (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Michael Doyle (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Rory Gaffney (Bristol Rovers).
Substitution
Substitution, Portsmouth. Conor Chaplin replaces Kyle Bennett.
Booking
Cristian Montaño (Bristol Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ben Close (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cristian Montaño (Bristol Rovers).
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Lee Brown.
Attempt saved. Adam McGurk (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Christian Burgess (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Cristian Montaño (Bristol Rovers).
Adam McGurk (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Daniel Leadbitter (Bristol Rovers).
Attempt saved. Gareth Evans (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Gareth Evans (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Daniel Leadbitter (Bristol Rovers).
Attempt saved. Gareth Evans (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Chris Lines replaces Liam Lawrence.
Goal!
Goal! Portsmouth 3, Bristol Rovers 0. Marc McNulty (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Kyle Bennett.
Substitution
Substitution, Portsmouth. Adam McGurk replaces Gary Roberts.
Foul by Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth).
Liam Lawrence (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Liam Lawrence (Bristol Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Substitution
Substitution, Portsmouth. Marc McNulty replaces Michael Smith.
Ben Davies (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers).
Attempt missed. Cristian Montaño (Bristol Rovers) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Adam Webster (Portsmouth) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Tom Lockyer.